Vehicle-spring



(No Model.) 2Sheets-8heet 1.

G. E. HARRIS.

Vehicle Spring. No. 234,403. Patented Nov. 16,1880.

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(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. E. HARRIS.

Vehicle Spring.

Patented Nov. 16,1880.

Usirrnn States Patent @rrrcs.

GEORGE E. HARRIS, OF LAWRENOEVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,403, dated November16, 1880,

Application filed September 30, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnonen E. HARRIS, ofLawren'ceville, in the county of Tioga, in the State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Springs andGearing, of which the following, in connection with the accompanyingdrawin gs, is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of vehicles in which the body issupported upon side springs secured at their extremities to end springsmounted upon and secured to the front and hind axles, and has for itsobject to provide improved means for supporting said body, bracing thesprings, and preventing noise and rattling of parts.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the parts to which myimprovements relate. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof; and Figs. 3, 4c, 5,6, 7, and S are detail views.

The side springs,E E, connected with the end springs, D D, by means ofeyes or thimble's c c, fitting over the rounded ends of the latter andsecured thereon by nuts or pins,

have attached to them, at their middle portions, iron body-supports G G,with whichthe body is connected, it being secured to wooden bars orblocks H H, placed transversely and secured to said supports.

The bars or body-supports G Gr are connected with the side springs bymeans of shackles or yokes, and in order to give a full side view of thebody I make the transverse equalizing-bars II of sufficient size toraise it even with the tops of the side springs, E E.

To the ends of the transverse bars H are secured depending brackets I,formed at their lower ends with thimbles m, and within said thimbles areperforated blocks of rubber n, of sufficient length to project at eachend.

The transverse bar K, mounted between the thimbles, is held by means ofthreaded bolts 0, passing through said rubber block and into the ends ofthe bar. Between the heads of the bolts and the blocks of rubber n areplaced washersp. Upon screwing up the bolts 0 a projecting rim of rubberwill be forced out at each end of the thimble at, so as to form elasticcushions between the latter and the ends of the equalizing-bar and headsof the bolts 1), completelyisolatin g said thimbles from contact witheither metal or wood surfaces.

(No model.)

The end spring D is firmly bolted or clipped to the hind axle at a a,and the front spring D, at c c, to the block or plate 0, (shown in Fig.4,) composing the headblook or upper part of the fifth-wheel.

Firmly connected with said bar K, by means of clips, are steel braces LL, extending backward and secured to the rear axle, B, at their hindends. A similar brace, L, is extended forward to the front axle. Thesebraces serve as a reach.

Braces L L, which, as also brace L, may be fiat, round, or of othersuitable shape, are firmly connected by their bolts or clips with therear axle, B, at points below the ends of springs D, and with the bar Kat points intermediate to its middle and ends.

Brace L, which may either consist of one bar connected with the middleof the transverse bar K, or of two bars connected at different parts andextended forward in V shape, extends forward under the central portionof the front axle, A, to which it is secured by the king-bolt O passingthrough it and the yoke N, which extends over the top of the frontspring D, and has depending arms passing through holes in brace L infront and rear of the front axle. Nuts on the arms of the yoke above andbelow the brace L firmly secure the latter.

The brackets I, secured to the bars H, extend downward from the centersof springs E E to substantially the same distance below them as existsbetween the ends of the side springs and the rear ends of braces L L andthe forward end of brace L; consequently the braces follow a linesubstantially parallel with the line of curve of the side springs. Bythis construction I provide an effective connection capable of holdingthe front and rear axles and end springs in proper vertical position,and of preventing the springs from unequally settling under a load.

The braces yield to accommodate any elongation of springs E E caused bystraightening out when supporting a load, for, being bent tosubstantially the same extent as springs E E, andconnectcd at theirmiddle points to the middle portions of the springs, so that they aredepressed at that point and straightened out correspondingly with thesprings, the braces straighten and bend to the same degree as thesprings. By this meansthe proper vertical position and parallelism ofthe front and rear axles and end springs are maintained, and an elasticor yielding movement is permitted in the axles and end springs. Aneasy-going vehicle is thereby provided, jolting and jarring caused bypassing over irregularities in the road being obviated. The springsyield when the vehicle strikes a stone or the side of a rut, and therebythe wheels, instead of shaking and jarring the vehicle by strikingrigidly, are drawn or pulled graduallyover or out without shock. Thereis no play between the ends of the braces and the bar K or axles, theconnections being made perfectly rigid. This does not interfere,however, with the necessary yielding movements of the side springs, forthe resiliency of the braces readily accommodates the movements of thesprings. I11 this respect I believe my construction presents features ofadvantage over all similar existing arrangements.

In all the constructions of carriage running gear with which I amfamiliar, having couplingbraces connected with the axles and sidesprings, the braces are attached by pivot-joints to the other parts.This is open to several objecti0nsamong others liability to wear andrattle and danger of breakage. These 1 seek to remove.

To still further provide for securing a sidespring conveyance whichshall be exempt from the rumbling and roaring sounds so troublesomeinvehicles, I secure against any looseness or rattling ofcross-bar K andarms I by means of the thimblesmand rubber blocksa, having theircushioning ends projecting from the thimbles, as previously described.The rubber, being a non-conductor of sound, will absorb the vibrationsof the wheels and lower parts of the gearing, and thereby prevent themfrom reaching the body. Troublesome rumbling and roaring, veryfrequently experienced, due to the sounding-board-like action of thebody, are thereby prevented.

By permitting no actual contact of metallic or hard surfaces, wear ofparts and noise due to their vibration and contact are also prevented.

The fifth wheel is composed of a lower plate, 0, (shown in Fig. 5,)secured to the front axle, and an upper plate or block, 0, attached tothe front sprin D. Part 0 is formed with suitable bearing-surfaces forthe upper plate, and has a vertical perforated pin or stud, h, which isadapted to project upward through a hole, '1', in plate 0, and thusserves as a pivot for the latter.

The king-bolt 0 passes through the perforation of the pin 72 and isrelieved of all strain.

To provide a connection for the ends of the side and end springs thatwill fit tightly in use and will not become loose by wear, I constructthe eyes or thimbles on the ends of the side springs in the followingmanner: I make such thimbles with enlarged apertures, that may, ifdesired, be of an elliptical form. Within the aperture of each thimble,and in the upper portion thereof, I place aconcave block or plate ofmetal, a, (either steel or brass is suitable,) whose face, in connectionwith the lower portion of the thimble, forms a circular bearing for thepin or spindle at the extremity of the end spring.

Upwardly-projecting ears (1 of the bearingplates are received in groovesc in the ends of the thimble, and maintain the bearingplates inposition. Above the bearing-plate is a block of rubber, b, the expansionof which presses the plate downward firmly upon the end pin of the endspring, holdingthe same tigl'itly, and forming a tight bearing, not atall liable to rattle. The compression of the rubber block when the wagonreceives its load, although slight, gives an easy, yielding movement,while the expansibility of the packing keeps the bearing-plate closelypressed against the end pin at all times, and compensates for any wear.

Rubber washers are placed on each side of the thimble, and the whole istightened up by means of the nut 0. The rubber washers and packing inthis case also perform the function of absorbing vibrations and noise.

I am aware that a spring having an eye or thimble provided with an antirattling bearing composed of a rubber packing and metal ferrule is notbroadly new, for that is shown by Patent No. 167,068, dated August 24,1875. I do not, therefore, seek to broadly cover this feature.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction of the partscomposing the bearing, and ditfers from what is shown in the said patentin several features. In the latter the metal ferrule, when secured inposition around the end pin ofthe crossbar ot'the wagon, forms acomplete cylindrical bcarin g for said pin, and on account of this formwill not admit of being readily adjusted to fit the pin in case thelatter is too small. to actually fill the interior of the said ferrule.hen too small the pin will move loosely in its bearing.

I obviate these disadvantages by making my bearing-plate ofsemi-cylindrical form. This plate encompasses closely, but notcompletely, the periphery of the end pin of the end spring. When inplace in the eye the pin bears on its under side upon the inner concavesurface thereof, the bearing-plate being placed above and pressed firmlyupon it by the rubber packing, and is securely held at all times. Itwill be seen that the plate admits of being readily compressed or openedto fit any sized pin.

In the other construction referred to the ferrule can only be compressedto a certainextent, and when used with too small a pin will not preventit from rattling. Mine, onv the contrary, can be made to closely fitalmost any size, and will always constitute an anti-rattlin g bearing.

I also provide the bearing-plate with ears that engage with grooves inthe ends of the eyes or thimbles and prevent the plate from becomingdisplaced. These features are lacking in the devices shown by saidpatent.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1.. The combination, withaxles A B, end

springs, D D, and side springs, E E, of sup- 5 ports G, bars H, bracketsI, equalizing-bar K,

and braces L L and L, substantially as de scribed.

2. The combination, with the equalizing-bar K, of the brackets 1, havingthe thiinbles m, the rubber packing-blocks n, adapted to project at eachend from the thiinbles to form elastic cushions between the saidthiinbles and the ends of the equalizing-bar and heads of thesecuring-bolts, and the bolts 19, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

3. The combination, with the axles and the side springs connectedthereto, of the brackets depending from the middle of said springs, theequalizin g-barsnpported thereby, and the front and rear braces havingrigid connections with the axles and equalizing-bar, substantially asand for the purposes described.

4. The combination, with the end springs having the end pin, of the sidespring formed with the thimbles having the grooves c, thesemi-cylindrical bearing-plate to, having the ears (1, and the rubberpacking, substantially as described.

GEORGE E. HARRIS.

Vitnesses:

JOSEPH F. RUSLING, ALEX. ORoPsLY.

